US Drafts Iran Ground Raid Plans to Pressure Tehran

The Pentagon is preparing options for weeks-long ground operations inside Iran, U.S. officials told The Washington Post late Saturday, outlining plans for targeted raids aimed at increasing pressure on Tehran rather than a full-scale invasion. President Donald Trump has not approved any of the proposals, the report said.

The planning marks a potential shift beyond the current air campaign toward ground operations, even as senior U.S. officials publicly signal a shorter timeline. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday the United States could achieve its objectives within “the next two weeks” without deploying ground forces, while Pentagon scenarios under discussion could extend for weeks or longer.

According to U.S. officials cited by The Washington Post, the options under discussion would rely on a mix of special operations forces and conventional infantry units carrying out targeted raids. One official said the objectives could take “weeks, not months” to achieve, while others estimated the operations could last up to around two months. The plans are not designed as a full invasion or long-term occupation, but as focused missions against specific targets.

Officials and analysts cited by The Washington Post said the potential operations are aimed at securing or reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reducing Iran’s ability to threaten maritime traffic, and potentially seizing strategic sites to create leverage in future negotiations. The approach reflects a coercive strategy focused on limiting Iran’s military reach while increasing pressure on the regime.

One of the locations under discussion is Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, through which roughly 90% of the country’s crude exports pass. U.S. forces previously struck military targets on the island earlier this month but avoided damaging oil infrastructure, according to widely reported accounts of the operation.

Some analysts have warned that seizing and holding territory such as Kharg would carry significant risks. “I just wouldn’t want to be in that small place with Iran’s ability to rain down drones and maybe artillery,” Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy told The Washington Post. He suggested that targeting Iranian missile and weapons sites along the coast near the Strait of Hormuz could be a more effective alternative.

U.S. forces are already building up in the region. The New York Times reported Sunday that the USS Tripoli amphibious group, carrying about 5,000 Marines and sailors, has arrived in the Middle East. Additional deployments potentially bringing the total to around 10,000 troops are also being considered.

The war has already resulted in 13 American servicemembers killed and more than 300 wounded, underscoring the risks of any expanded ground operation. “It’s the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the Commander in Chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the President has made a decision,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in response to the report.

Trump has not publicly endorsed any ground operation, and officials stressed that multiple military options remain under review as the situation continues to evolve.